Maine's
Pesticide Board Advocates Less Pesticides on Lawns
(Beyond Pesticides, August 16, 2004) The Maine Department
of Agriculture's Board of Pesticide Control says it wants Mainers to
take a more relaxed -- and more natural -- approach to their lawns,
according to a recent article in Kennebec
Journal. The Board advises people to use fewer pesticides and fertilizers
in order to have healthier lawns and a cleaner environment.

Chemical fertilizers
can kill natural microorganisms that foster healthy soil. "When
they maintain their lawns like that," said Gary Fish, a state environmental
specialist, "they end up with more disease, more weeds and more
pest problems. Then they turn to pesticides." The Board estimates
that 1.8 million pounds of yard-care pesticides were placed on Maine
lawns in 2001, up from 800,000 pounds in 1995. Throughout the country,
approximately 67 million pounds of pesticides are used each year on
lawns.

These numbers and
the increasing suburbanization of Maine’s landscape have led the
board to turn its attention to household pesticide and fertilizer use,
a growing source of pollution for Maine's rivers and streams. The state
has long regulated pesticides used by loggers and farmers, who receive
training on how to use the chemicals. But it has paid little attention
to lawn chemicals, which are much more frequently used. "There
hasn't been enough effort and prevention in this area," Fish said.
"And the way that Madison Avenue treats pesticides is a little
too lackadaisical."

Pesticides used
in lawn care are among the dangerous and most prevalent in society today.
Of the 36 most commonly used
lawn pesticides, 14 are probable or possible carcinogens, 15 are
linked with birth defects, 21 with reproductive effects, 24 with neurotoxicity,
22 with liver or kidney damage, and 34 are sensitizers and/or irritants.
For more information about lawn pesticides, see Lawn
Pesticide Facts and Figures.

The Board recommends
that Maine residents raise the blade on their mowers and cut their grass
less often. "A lot of homeowners don't realize that their grass
is a plant," said Kelly Bourdeau, a spokeswoman for the pesticide
board. "They're stressing out the roots."

The pesticide board’s
main message is that people can have a nice-looking lawn with less work
-- and without harming the environment. "We're just trying to educate
people on how to grow grass," Bourdeau said. "We want them
to have beautiful lawns. We all want beautiful lawns."